101 Fun Things To Do At Wal-Mart
by TigerLilly22
Summary: AU. Yang and Ruby go to Wal-Mart for the midnight release of Pokemon X and Y. Arriving too early, they decide to liven things up. Random shenanigans. (Warning: Not actually 101 things and many puns ahead.)
1. Chapter 1

"Alright nerds, who's ready to game all Eevee-ning long?!" An ecstatic blonde yelled with resounding volume from the front of the Wal-Mart, her fists lifted high in the air, her spirits even higher. Luckily for the redhead walking through the automatic doors behind her, few were around to hear it.

The redhead placed a heavy hand on the vociferous blonde's shoulder, an exasperated expression gracing her features. "Yang, you said you wouldn't do that!" She let her face fall into her other hand. "That was such a terrible pun…"

Yang chuckled as she lowered her hands to rest on her hips in a dynamic stance. "I say a lot of things Ruby. If you want me to do something, put it in writing next time." She advised. Wearing a wicked grin, she clutched the fifteen year olds arm, making the shorter girl squawk in surprise. "Besides, I'm gonna be sure to Weedle puns in all night long!" Ruby groaned as Yang continued. "Come, we go! To the games!"

"What, right now?"

"Yup!"

"But we still have five hours to kill! Can't we go do something else to pass the time? Do we really have to wait in line, like, now?"

Yang tutted. "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. My naïve little sister." The blonde released her sister's arm, instead patting the now pouting girl's head in affection. "You just don't get it. There _will_ be more people later on." She put an arm around the shorter girl's shoulder, bringing the redhead closer. Yang crouched down slightly, putting her head level with Ruby's as she waved a hand through the air dramatically, illustrating her scene in a low whisper. "Can't you see the lines Ruby? They will be coming, and they'll be lining up out the wazoo."

"Out the who-what?"

Yang bonked her sister on the head. "Don't interrupt."

Continuing her dramatic speech, she said, "At first, we'll all be courteous, people gathering together under the union of Pokémon, being all buddy-buddy and playing innocent. Everyone getting along under the pretense that we'll all get a game, that we'll all be in our own little worlds soon enough, eventually sequestered from reality as we obtain our virtual paradise. That is, until..." Ruby, who had been nodding along slowly at her sister's imagined scenario, wondered where she was going with this.

She clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a shriek as Yang suddenly snapped her fingers in front of her eyes. "BAM. It's midnight, the game is released, and people go BALLISTIC. Each of us want a copy, but who knows how many there are. Will everyone get a game? No one knows! What we DO know is that it's first come, first serve." Voluptuous blonde hair swished side to side as the tall girl shook her head solemnly, her face set into a stony expression. "Soon, before you know it, people are fighting their way to the front, pushing and shoving and doing whatever is in their power to get a game. 'Cause maybe they're die hard fans who feel as though they can't live without that game. Or maybe they don't want to disappoint their kid. Their KID, Ruby." Yang sighed as she shook the shorter girl by her shoulders. "Waiting in line makes a person super crazy. Sad really. But it's a trial we all have to face." Yang bore a smirk on her lips as she witnessed a spooked Ruby at her side, her teeth chattering.

Yang then shrugged and held up her other hand in a clueless gesture. "Or no one is gonna show up and they'll just pick up their pre-ordered copies tomorrow. I don't know."

Ruby turned to face her sister, flabbergasted as she realized the blonde was psyching her out with one of her weird jokes. "Stop DOING that to me!" Ruby shouted as she pushed her terrible sister away. "Now I can't get the image of people killing each other for the game out of my head!"

Yang laughed as she was pushed. "Killing each other? I never said anything about that! That's all your own twisted imagination little sis!"

"Whatever! One of these days, I'll have my revenge!"

Snatching the redhead's hand in mid-flail, the blonde exclaimed with vigor, "Keep telling yourself that! Maybe I'll let you one day. It'll be my Christmas present to you!"

Ruby puffed out her cheeks, having no retort.

Without another word and excitedly dragging Ruby behind her with a spring in her step, Yang made her way down a white-tiled walkway, absorbing the scene around them.

For a Saturday night, the Wal-Mart was notably deserted. As the sister duo made their way through the store, they observed that the front was nearly devoid of people, few registers open with only a couple customers waiting to be checked out. Yang looked all around her, violet eyes snapping back and forth as they ambled down the long, wide section of tile flooring to the back, but no one crossed their path. They traveled unperturbed, much to the blonde's puzzlement.

_Strange, guess not that many people are as excited for the release._ The feisty blonde chuckled as she thought. _Whatever, their loss. __It just means we'll be first!_

Yang and her little sister Ruby had been waiting for this day. The day they had been anticipating for months. The reason that they had bought 3DS' in the first place. The day that made the blonde bounce on her heels in anticipation as she neared the electronics section at the back of the store. Today was that day.

The day that Pokémon X and Y were released.

Yang wistfully wished that her other friends could have been here, but they all told her that they did not have the time. Most of them had jokingly told her that they 'actually had a life to attend to', but she did not care. She was going to have a good time with, or without them. Besides, at least she had Ruby.

"Here we are sis." Yang spoke reverently, making it to the front of the electronics section. "Our euphoria awaits us. In just…" Yang dug a cellphone out of the pocket of her brown leather jacket, glancing at the screen. "four hours and fifty-three minutes, we will have Absol-lute glory!"

Ruby shook her head. "You're such a dork, you know that?"

Yang just shot her a goofy smile. "Yeah, but I love it. And so do you!" Yang glomped her sister, the redhead giggling at the sudden embrace. "You know you want that game just as much as I do! Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."

"Yeah, but I could've waited until tomorrow to get my copy."

Yang responded in a dead monotone. "If you want to go home, you're welcome to walk."

Ruby nervously chuckled as she weakly raised a fist in the air, speaking with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, "Woo, Pokémon. Is it midnight yet?"

"That's what I thought." _I'm your ride home little sis, and don't you forget it!_

Letting the shorter girl go, Yang looked around. It seemed that there were more people in the back, scarce as they were. From time to time, she spotted the same people, teenagers and adults alike, loitering around the electronics section. Quite a few of them wore Pokémon shirts and accessories, leading Yang to believe that they were here for the same reason as she. Some wandered around in pairs, others alone. As great as that was and all, none of them were doing anything exciting.

_Such shy nerds. If this was all the people I got to worry about, then maybe we did come a little early. Considering the time though, who knows who'll show up. Only time will tell._

"Welp, we ain't getting anything done standing here." Yang mused out loud. "Wanna take a look around?"

Ruby shrugged with a smirk. "Wynaut?"

Yang poked her little sister in the ribs, making the red girl giggle. "Oh you!"

Moving slow, the sisters browsed through the store. Starting at the electronics, they found nothing new in the games, DVDs or music. Yang took note of the Animal Crossing game that came out a while ago in one of the display cases.

"Aw man." Yang hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I totally forgot about my Animal Crossing. My town is gonna be so crappy when I spend all my time on Pokémon. If it isn't like that already because of my recent Slaking. It's Snover!" Yang held the back of the same hand to her forehead, feigning despair.

Ruby giggled as she sang, "That's what happens when you use the bell boom ordinance. I have my town set to the beautiful one, so I don't have to worry about a thing!"

Hooking Ruby's neck with her arm, Yang rubbed the top of red hair with a knuckle, making the smaller girl shriek in laughter as she was noogied. "Oh, so you think you're such hot stuff huh? Do ya? We'll just see how much smarter you feel when I mess up your hair! It'll look Ghastly!"

"Ahaha! No more! No more! Uncle, UNCLE!" Ruby pleaded, pulling on her sister's arm as she laughed.

Yang laughed and stopped mussing up Ruby's hair, but did not relinquish her grip. Walking around like that, Ruby yelling in protest as she was dragged around, Yang strolled toward the music and DVD section.

"Huh, guess there's nothing new out…" Yang mused, ignoring the squirming Ruby in her grasp as she perused the CD covers. Moving over toward the books, she pretended to browse seriously. "Let's see, we got some old releases here… Whatcha think Ruby, _Fifty Shades of Gray_ sound like a good read to you?" Picking up the novel, the blonde dangled it in front of her sister's face, knowing of Ruby's dislike for the rather sensual literature.

"EEEWWW! Gross gross gross gross! Get it away Yang, I don't want to see it!" Ruby struggled more in her grasp, making Yang laugh more. She put it down and picked up another.

"No? How about a My Little Pony coloring book then?" _That oughta get her._

Ruby gasped, finally slipping her head out from under Yang's hold. "There's a My Little Pony coloring book?! Let me see, let me see!" Ruby jumped at the book in Yang's hold.

"Now, now Ruby, no need to get so excited."

"But it's a coloring book! Of My Little Pony! Let me seeee!" Round, silver eyes peeked up at her, seemingly growing bigger and cuter by the second. It was the dreaded puppy dog pout.

Yang covered her eyes with both hands, unintentionally bringing the book to where Ruby could grab it. "My Sableyes! It burns!"

As the blonde was distracted, Ruby snatched the book. "Mine!"

Bringing her hands down, the taller woman shook her head as she watched Ruby flip through the pages of the little booklet feverishly, taking in the pictures. "I know you Diglett Ruby, but this is seriously too much. It's a _children's_… wait." Tapping a finger to her chin, Yang digested what she said. "Maybe it does work for Mewtwo."

Ruby groaned, pausing in her page turning. "Oh my gosh, stop iiiitt!"

"Aw, what's the matter sis? Natu fond of my puns? How Onix-pected." Yang cooed.

"STOOOP."

"Then put the coloring thingie back Ruby, we'll come back for it later if you want, but I'm not letting you carry it around."

Ruby grumbled, putting the coloring booklet back. "Fine… lousy older sisters and their dumb puns." She stormed off, heading to another part of the store.

Yang snickered as she got her way. "Come back Ruby! Just give me one more Chansey!"

"UUGGGHH."

Laughing, Yang followed her sister to the food aisles, taking in the various ingredients and dried items available.

"Is this your way of telling me you're hungry?"

"Nah, I'm just looking around."

Passing by a particular shelf, Yang froze. Grinning maniacally, she grabbed one of the items next to her and bounded up to her sister. She waved her prize around, saying, "Oh no! Looks like this aisle isn't Butterfree!"

Ruby looked to her with a deadpan expression, ignoring the stick of butter her sister waved in her face. "Are you done yet?"

Yang's face fell, expressing mock hurt. "Aw c'mon Ruby! How can you not appreciate the art of a visual pun?"

The redhead just shook her head, smirking. "If you don't stop, I'Machop your hair off while you sleep." She looked to a speechless Yang. "That's right, I went there."

Yang just pointed a finger in between Ruby's eyes, making the shorter girl cross-eyed as she tried to look at it. "Don't even JOKE about that lil sis." Yang hissed.

Ruby just ran off, shouting at the top of her lungs, "I'll joke all I want you Slowpoke!"

_Oh she's done it now. _"Get back here you shrimp!"

"What's the matter? All out of puns? Would you _preFurret_ if I helped you think of some?"

"You smug little shit." Yang muttered under her breath. She raised her voice so her sister could hear her. "When I catch you, don't think you'll be shown any mercy!"

Chasing her into the kitchen appliances section, Yang caught Ruby, not like the younger girl had a chance of getting away. She tackled the girl to the hard tiled ground, their jackets somewhat cushioning their fall. Yang took the brunt of it, landing on her back with Ruby on top of her, sparing Ruby from any actual injury like a good sister would. However, their position did little to impede her as she mercilessly went for Ruby's sides.

Pinned by her sister's arms, Ruby screamed as she was attacked, not able to stop squirming as Yang dug at her ribs, tickling her. "STOOP! YAA-HAA-ANG! I- AHAHA! I CAN'T BREATHE! MERCY!"

After a few minutes, she decided that the little red monster had, had enough. Yang released her, chuckling lowly all the while. As the duo got up, grey eyes shot the blonde teen a nasty glare.

"Uncool Yang. Uncool."

Yang laughed as she slapped Ruby's back, making the small girl lurch forward a step from the force. "Can't take the heat? Then get out of the kitchen!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. The things she had to deal with on a daily basis.

Looking around, Yang took in the kitchen appliances. Nothing exciting going on here either. Yang sighed.

_This is getting ridiculous._ Yang groused. As fun as it was to torment her sister with her loving affections, the blonde felt that it was getting repetitive.

_It's official. I'm bored. Time to liven things up a bit._

"Hey Ruby." Yang called. The named girl turned, looking at her quizzically from in front of the blenders. "Wanna do the list?"

Silver eyes lit up in excitement. "Do you mean…?"

Smiling deviously, Yang pulled out a folded paper from her pocket. "Oh yeah."

* * *

"Come on Weiss, you promised to go with me. The least you can do is not be such a sourpuss." A young girl with ebony locks, her hair covered by a black beanie, walked through the sliding doors of the Wal-Mart, a gleam of annoyance shining in her feral yellow eyes.

A white haired teen, her hair done up in an off center ponytail, stood next to the darker girl. The white girl, Weiss, rolled her own glacial blue orbs. "Oh that's rich coming from you. I said I would come, but no one said anything about me having to enjoy it."

The raven haired girl gave Weiss a smug smile. "You are only saying that so that if anyone sees you, they will not think you are here for Pokémon."

An icy glare was her response. "Shut it Blake."

_You're so easy to read Weiss. _Blake smirked, but kept the thought to herself.

Instead, she said, "Just relax, Weiss. For me?" Blake made a show of clasping her hands in front of her in a prayer pose, face angled down so she would look up at Weiss. Considering that the white-haired female was shorter than her, she did a decent job of adopting a begging look.

She really did want Weiss to stay. Having only one other friend - one who claimed she was busy tonight - she literally knew of no one else who could have come with her. And she did not want to be here alone, even if the only option was the frigid girl before her.

Weiss threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, okay! I'm here anyway, right? What else do you want from me?"

"For you to stop giving me the cold shoulder."

"I could always leave you know." Weiss hated it when people made 'cold' puns around her.

Blake visibly wilted, much to Weiss' chagrin. Amber eyes looked down to the floor as Blake held her hands behind her back, one foot scuffing the ground as she lightly tapped it with the tip of her boot. "Ah… Are you going to?"

Weiss backed away, not able to handle the kicked kitten expression the darker girl was aiming at her. The pale girl looked down at the floor in embarrassment, her cheeks a slight shade of pink and fists clenched at her sides. She sighed. "No. I promised that I would come with you. What kind of a friend would I be if I left?" She questioned her resolve whenever she faced something as cute as Blake's pout.

Blake gave a small smile. "Thank you Weiss." _Works every time._

"Whatever. You still didn't say I had to enjoy myself."

Blake rolled her eyes with a grin as they finally started walking away from the entrance. Weiss could not bring down her spirits anyway. She was excited and nothing was going to stop her from getting a copy of one of her favorite games. Today was the day. A day she - and Weiss, whether she would admit it or not - had been looking forward to for months. Today, was the day that -

"Why on earth are there urinals in the women's bathroom?!" A spastic voice to their left interrupted Blake's train of thought, both startled teens looking over to see what the commotion was.

They were met with the scene of a young employee standing in front of an irate woman. His hands held up as he tried to calm the enraged female before him, saying in a gentle voice, "Ma'am, there are no urinals in the women's restroom. Are you sure you didn't walk into the wrong room?"

The woman spat her sentences at him, her teeth clenched in anger. "No, I didn't! Are you calling me crazy? You're calling ME crazy?!"

The young man started to sweat bullets, his eyes wide. "N-no ma'am! I'm just saying it's possible that you -"

The woman interrupted him. "Why don't you go in and see for yourself Mister Condescension?"

Heeding her suggestion, he rushed through a door with a somewhat female looking blob figure hanging on the outside, signifying it as the women's restroom. Coming back out, the employee was rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish look on his face. "You're right. There are urinals in there."

The woman screeched hysterically in triumph, "I TOLD you!"

"But I think that's because this is the men's restroom."

"It's… what?"

Taking down the sign in front of the door, the employee scratched his head. "Who did this..?" Turning the sign over, he was surprised to find an inscription scrawled on to the back."You've been pranked by the hive… signed… Bumblebee? The hell?" The young man stared at the message, not sure what to make of it.

At this point, Blake was snickering as she listened in on the scene. It seemed someone had switched the signs on the restrooms as a prank. Classic.

Weiss did not seem to think so. "How childish." She turned around, her nose in the air as she strutted off, not wasting another minute listening to such nonsense.

Amber eyes looked to her in disbelief, but Blake said nothing. _Sometimes it is just not worth it to argue with her. And yet she wonders why people call her 'princess'._

They continued their journey toward the back of the store, no one standing in their way. Blake wondered if there would be any more pranks to witness as they walked. She was certainly in for a surprise when the two girls passed by the clothing section.

Weiss screamed when the circular clothing rack of hanging shirts next to them suddenly began to shake and speak in a high pitched voice, bringing the duo to a halt. "Wear me! Wear me! I'm so much prettier and comfier than those pants over there! Trust me, I'll 'suit' you!"

The rack of jeans nearby began to shake as well, making the two females jump. The jeans rack began speaking in a contrasting deep voice all its own, "Don't listen to them! They think they're better just 'cause they're made of cotton, but they can't 'measure up' to us, we're made of _denim_. A 'shoe-in' for your style!"

The shirts argued back. "Lies! Everything he says is 'fabricated!' They'll cheat on you behind your back when you least expect it, slipping on to every pair of legs between here and Timbuktu!"

_What do you know? Another prank. _Blake thought, almost laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of the exchange. _But, there's something off about this. It's almost as if they're... reading from a script. _

Weiss stayed motionless as her eyes flitted between the different clothing sections, scared stiff. Blake held a hand up to her mouth, trying to keep her poker face at witnessing the speechless princess. This night was getting better and better.

The jeans addressed them again. "Come on ladies, you know you wanna insert your longs legs into me!" Weiss blanched, an enraged expression making its way on her face. Blake began to think this was not going to end well if she did not do something.

The shirts suddenly began sobbing. "Why do we always do this? 'Ironing' each other out of the picture?" The rack began singing, "_Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? The color of your jeans don't matter to me. As long as we can live in harmony._"

"Put a sock in it, shirts. Sew not funny."

Blake clapped her hands, interrupting the battle. "Okay, that's enough you two! Please stop before my friend here has an aneurysm."

The shirts answered her, voice lowered in pitch. "Aw, okay." From both racks emerged two teenage boys, both wearing… women's lingerie? One boy had panties adorning his hair, the other with a bra over his shirt. Weiss remained motionless, her eye occasionally twitching as her face went slack.

The two boys then struck dramatic poses, index fingers pointed toward the ceiling as they announced, "For the glory of the hive! Long live Bumblebee, ruler of puns and pranks!" They then took off, running toward the back of the store.

Weiss and Blake watched them go. The paler teen not knowing what to say as her mouth remained open. Her darker friend patted her on the shoulder.

"You okay there Weiss?"

"Were they wearing women's undergarments?" Weiss asked instead.

Blake laughed, nodding her head. "Yes, yes they were. Try not to think about it. I have a feeling very little logic was involved here."

"Mother of god…" Weiss said nothing else as she continued their trek to the back.

Finally arriving at the electronics section of the store, the girls were met with an unusual sight. Toys were littered across every available surface but the floor. Plastic dinosaurs fought battles with Barbie dolls on some surfaces, a war zone having been crafted from miscellaneous art supplies. Other dinosaurs seemed to be… eating plastic ponies? And were those dinosaurs playing card games over there? Some of them appeared to be having a tea party with painted monocles and paper mâché top hats, stuffed toys around them dressed much the same. Other toys were even decorated with red and black paint, giving them them the appearance of zombies, or possibly even vampires, as they attacked G.I. Joe action figures. Such madness.

Blake let loose a small laugh. "I would very much like to meet who is doing all this. This 'Bumblebee' I presume."

Weiss shot her a glare, not amused. "Let's just wait here, I am not in the mood for anymore crazy!" She shook her head and brought her hands up to rub her temples. Obviously the employees were not going to do anything to stop this, so she would rather not go anywhere else on the off chance that more insanity was afoot.

Blake chuckled._ Tonight is becoming very interesting indeed._

Blake soon turned her attention to the dvd section, hearing laughter coming from the televisions in the back. An itching curiosity made itself known, begging to be scratched. She had to investigate.

"I'm going over there." Blake informed her companion.

Weiss gaped at her. "Have you gone mad? Let's just stay here!"

Blake shrugged. "Okay. You can stay here and play Go Fish with the dinos, I'm going to the back to check out what people are laughing about."

The icy glare she received said it all as Weiss attempted to drill holes through Blake with her eyes. Blake smiled innocently but did not say a word as Weiss followed her to the televisions.

What they found was quite intriguing. It seemed as though a group of guys and girls had set up a mini theater in the back with lawn chairs taken from the sporting goods section, all of them sporting a, hopefully, purchased drink and some candy. The televisions before them were muted as they viewed _The Avatar_. Blake noticed that a smaller screen off to the side had a note attached to it, claiming the area as: _Bumblebee's Brozone: All Comrades Welcome! _

_Interesting. _Blake mused._ This 'Bumblebee' seems like quite the wild character._

At the front of the television, one of the boys spoke at the same time as a man on the screen. "I'm telling you! I went to the shaman woman and I'm the chosen one! I am… THE AVATAR. Master of all four elements!"

A girl spoke as a woman appeared on screen, ad libbing the muted actress's lines. "God dammit Jason, this is the wrong movie! You're a soldier, not a bender!"

The man came back to the screen, the boy speaking again in his place. "You talking crazy shit again Katara?" When the screen showed a blue skinned character, the boy screamed, "OH MY GOD MOMO. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU BUDDY?! HOLY SHIT ARE YOU OKAY MOMO?! YOU'RE BLUE MOMO, BREATHE DAMMIT!" His friends roared in laughter at he jumped out of his chair, scrabbling at the television screen as he shouted.

Blake chuckled over their silly show. Weiss just rolled her eyes, wishing she was anywhere else.

"Can we go somewhere else." Weiss did not make it sound like a question.

Blake sighed. Weiss was such a killjoy. "Fine, where would the princess like to go?"

Slapping Blake's arm at the nickname, Weiss checked her wrist watch. "We still have almost two hours before the premiere. How about we check out the books?"

"Sure." She could do that. She liked books.

Following her friend toward their destination, Blake paused to take a look at the passing DVDs, seeing the new releases on a stand in the middle of the main aisle. Weiss paused beside her, deciding to not leave her friend but to browse alongside her. She crouched down on one side of the display. Out of sight of the girl that came careening down a corner with a shopping cart.

"Whoa, look out!"

Blake looked up at the voice, shocked when an audible rattle was heard as the rushing blonde girl driving the cart attempted to stop. Blake stood, rooted to the spot, as the shopping cart screeched to a halt, just centimeters from where she stood. Purple irises met wide amber orbs in an unexpected surprise.

Glancing quickly, Blake took in the sight of the wild girl, her blonde hair flowing freely around her. She scanned the black jeans tucked into tan, knee high boots, the yellow shirt hidden beneath a long sleeved brown leather jacket, and the orange scarf that snugly gripped a thin neck. The girl before her stared at Blake much the same. The ebony haired girl feeling very self-conscious about her own black sweater, black heeled boots, black beanie and white pants as the blonde teen assessed her.

_Why doesn't the floor open a hole to make me disappear when I want it to? _Blake wondered, not feeling altogether comfortable with the other teen looking her up and down.

They stayed that way, staring at each other. Until the boy in the cart groaned, not pleased that they weren't moving. "What the heck Bumblebee? Why'd you stop?"

Blake snapped her gaze to the boy, then back to the girl in front of her upon hearing the name.

_Bumblebee? _This_ is Bumblebee? She is much prettier than I was expecting... especially since I thought she would be a guy. It's a little intimidating..._

The lilac eyed teen, - now identified as the mysterious 'Bumblebee' - gestured to Blake, answering the boy in the cart. "Do you not see the girl I almost ran over? If there are other pedestrians around, then the game's over man. We ain't killing anyone tonight over a scavenger hunt race."

"Seriously? That sucks." The boy climbed out of the cart. "I'll tell everyone else then."

Bumblebee gave the boy a smile as she patted his shoulder. "Please do! Also, tell Captain Crimson that we need to start collecting the caution tape. I have an idea."

"Yes ma'am. Then I'm returning to the hive." After a short, mock salute, the boy ambled off.

_The hive? What the heck is the hive? Who's Captain Crimson?_ Blake pondered. _And why do they need caution tape?!_

Kicking the cart to the side, Bumblebee grinned as she faced Blake. She put a hand to her hip, flashing a dazzling smile as she raised two fingers to her forehead in a small salute of her own. "Well hello there new girl! Are you a gamer?"

Still in shock, Blake just continued to stare at the boisterous blonde before her. _This_ was Bumblebee, the crazy person behind all the insane happenings she had witnessed so far. It was quite surreal. Especially since she was not at all what she had been expecting. Blake could feel nervous knots roiling in the pit of her stomach as she was addressed, too stunned to reply.

Not receiving an answer, blonde eyebrows furrowed in worry. Bumblebee asked, "Hey, you okay? I didn't actually hit you or anything did I?" Blake flinched as the strange teen tried to get closer.

Upon seeing this, Weiss finally intervened. The pale girl having stood off to the side during the entire exchange, not wishing to be involved. However, upon seeing Blake's flinch, she was determined to make sure no one messed with her friends or brought harm to them. At least, not as long as she was around. She turned the corner of the DVD stand, ready to give whoever she faced a piece of her mind. Blue eyes widened in surprise when she saw who she was looking at.

Bumblebee pointed to Weiss in shock, both of them shouting simultaneously, "Oh not you again!"

Blake blinked as she stood off to the side, confused. _They know each other?_

Weiss growled at the unknown blonde. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Her opponent shot back.

Blake almost smiled as Weiss' face fell at the question. "I - you - you can't do that! I asked first!"

"I asked second!"

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"It has to do with me not giving a damn who asked first!"

Weiss sputtered in disbelief as she tried to find a comeback.

Lilac eyes narrowed in on the shorter girl in front of her, a mocking smirk adorning a smug face. "Well princess?

Weiss gritted her teeth as she stomped up to Bumblebee. "You incorrigible, brainless little -"

The taller girl took a step back, bringing her fists up. "What? You want somma this? Come at me bro!"

Before either of them could act, a red adolescent projectile wearing an eye patch wheeled around a corner on a bike, interrupting them as it shouted. "Sis! Some of the guys found an air pump in the back and we're gonna -" A loud screeching sound filled the air as the red girl clutched the brakes on her handlebars, hard. Her one silver eye almost bulged out of her head as she spied a glowering white teen. "WEISS?!"

She immediately turned her bike around, pedaling as fast as her little teen legs could as she shouted, "EVERYBODY RUN! THE ICE WOMAN COMETH!" She disappeared back around the corner from whence she came. The trio could still hear her screaming as she sped away.

Weiss' eyes widened a second time as she registered who she saw. "Ruby?!" The ivory teen began running in the direction the younger girl disappeared in. "Get back here! You have some explaining to do!"

Bumblebee cupped her hands to her mouth in a pseudo-megaphone. "Run Captain Crimson! Don't let her catch you!""

"Wait, Weiss! Don't just -" Blake held out a hand to stop her, but did not grab her in time as Weiss sprinted away. "...leave me." Blake sighed.

_Great...Now I'm alone. Stranded. So much for that._

Blake wondered what to do as she watched her friend disappear. Maybe she would go to the book section after all, waste time until the premiere started. It sounded like a solid plan.

However, Blake was certainly as surprised as Weiss to see Ruby. The younger girl had been the only other friend that she had thought about earlier, the one she had asked to accompany her along with Weiss. Although the redhead had told her that she was busy tonight. _What are the odds that it was because she was here too? _

"Ahem. Looks like Captain Crimson has run into some girlfriend trouble." A voice cleared their throat next to Blake, making her jump in surprise. Turning, Blake was surprised to see the enigmatic Bumblebee. She had stayed. "Hi!"

"Um… hello?" Blake then registered what she heard, delicately raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Girlfriend trouble?"

Bumblebee chuckled, settling her fists on her hips. "Yeah, Ruby has been avoiding that girl like the plague! Ignoring Weiss' calls equals one unhappy popsicle. Although I think it was because she didn't show up for their history presentation a week ago or something."

The dark girl nodded, not entirely comfortable with this new stranger or the current topic. "But… they are just friends right? They are not... 'together together' are they?"

"No, I'm pretty sure they are, they're just being little girls about it. Getting all embarrassed just from touching each others' hand. They're so adorable!" Bumblebee grinned slyly at her. "But Ruby's about to be put in the doghouse for sure."

As the blonde talked, the gears in Blake's mind whirred at high speeds.

_I was right. Weiss and Ruby _are _together. _Blake breathed in deeply, trying not to think about it. _Not the time! Need to focus on the now… _Blake looked at the taller girl beside her, barely hearing anything she said. Something about a doghouse._ Is this really Ruby's sister? The one Weiss warned me never to meet? Under any circumstance? I think they told me her name before, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't Bumblebee. What was it again…?_

Realizing that Bumblebee was staring at her expectantly, Blake could only say, "O-oh yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Those two are inseparable though. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Y-yeah." Unable to think of anything else to say, Blake looked down, flustered. Her social skills were rather rusty.

_Geez, I can't even look her in the eye._

Bumblebee balanced on the balls of her feet as she crouched, putting herself in Blake's line of sight. Violet pools peered up at the dark girl's downcast face, trying to make eye contact. "You still didn't answer my question."

Looking down at her in confusion, head tilted to the side, Blake asked, "What question?"

"Are you a gamer girl? You know, here for the Pokémon release?"

"Oh! Yes, I am."

The blonde shot up, jumping as she returned to her original height. "Great!" Without warning, Bumblebee slung an arm over Blake's shoulders, making the shorter girl tense up. Bumblebee started to speak in a corny Russian accent, "You are most welcome here new comrade!" Shouting loudly, Bumblebee announced, "WE ARE GAMERS UNITED! WE ARE THE HIVE! MY PEOPLE!"

A resounding cheer answered her, the sound echoing throughout the Wal-Mart.

Stepping away from the hold, Blake gave a nervous smile. "Uh… thank you?" _Just what on earth has she done to this store?_

Bumblebee gave her a warm smile in return, waving a hand through the air as if brushing it off. She returned to speaking normally, "Think nothing of it! So, uh…" The blonde twiddled her fingers in front of her. Her lilac eyes shifting around as though she wanted to say something but did not know how to say it. "Did you come here with the Weiss-cube?"

"Um, yeah. She was the only one available to come with me." Blake toed the ground nervously with her boot, unnerved by the girl in front of her. "I asked Ruby - who I guess is your sister?" At Blake's pause, Bumblebee nodded. Encouraged, Blake finished her sentence. "I asked if she would come with me, but she told me she was busy tonight." Her lips curled up into a small smile, looking over her shoulder to take another gander at the various scenes played out by the plastic toys behind her. "I now see why."

"Haha yeah! Making those were a blast!" Bumblebee laughed, rubbing at golden locks with a hand, almost as if she were nervous herself. "So you know my sister huh? I guess that means it's my fault she didn't come with ya. I asked Ruby if she wanted to come with me since none of my other friends were available either, but I had no idea that she was ditching such a cutie to come with lil ol' me! If I had known, I would'a asked her to invite her friends to come with us!"

Blake turned a bit pink. _Me? Cute? No, someone like her wouldn't mean that. She's just being nice._

"Anyway," the blonde continued. She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "If you want, I could take you back to Weiss. She's probably with Ruby at the base. Assuming she was caught that is."

"The base?"

"Yeah! Me and Ruby set up this really cool base in the outdoors section. We took hostage of a tent as our HQ. Wanna check it out?"

Blake shrugged. _Not like I have anything better to do._ "Sure, why not."

Bumblebee chuckled at her response, although Blake was not sure why.

Taking Blake's small, lithe fingers with her own warm ones, Bumblebee began leading her by pulling on her hand, much to Blake's surprise. The ebony haired teen had no idea what to do. This kind of situation was foreign to her and she did not know how to handle it. She never held hands with Ruby or Weiss before. In fact, she had never held hands with any other person outside her family before.

_Do friends usually do this? Do people who have just met usually do this? What am I supposed to do? Does Bumblebee do this to everyone?_

The girl leading Blake spoke up, bringing her out of her inner turmoil. "So gamer girl, you don't by any chance go to Beacon High do you? I don't recall seeing ya around before."

Blake turned down toward the floor, abashed. "Ah, no. I'm homeschooled."

Bumblebee looked back to her in surprise. "Really? No wonder I've never seen ya." Facing forward again, she continued. "If you don't go to public school, then how do you know Weiss and my sister?"

"I spend my free time tutoring other students at the local library." Blake informed her. "Their system brought them to me when they needed help with history about a year ago. I suppose you could say the three of us have been friends ever since."

Her new companion chuckled. "No wonder Ruby's been doing so well! Figures that she got a tutor. Thanks for putting up with her then gamer girl!"

Blake had little time to consider telling the blonde her real name when Bumblebee suddenly brought them to a halt. They had arrived at the outdoors section before they knew it.

Severing their connection, Bumblebee brought up both her arms and performed jazz hands as she gestured to the tent before them, people festering around it. "Ta daaaa! Welcome to the hive!"

Outside the front of the tent was a staked sign, a sticky note attached to it proclaimed: _The Hive. Bumblebee's Domain. Comrades Welcome!_ Teenagers and young adults sat all around the tent, filling out the inside and spilling over into the outside. It did not seem to bother anyone as the people around the outside were still able to participate in the main debates happening on the inside. What once were strangers were exchanging jokes and having fun talking about anything, burning time until the Pokémon premiere. Ironically, it seemed that the current topic of conversation was Pokémon, Blake hearing snippets of conversation over the loud chatter.

Bumblebee shouted above the din. "Wassup my subjects?!"

Not caring about the intrusion, everyone turned to their charismatic chief, shouting in gleeful unison, "Bumblebee!"

Bumblebee laughed as some of them got up and greeted her, many of the teens hugging her or giving her fist bumps as she said hello. Almost as though they had known her their whole lives. Although Blake was sure that most of them had only met her this night.

To Blake's astute observations, it seemed the blonde had quite the party girl personality. Yet she played it off right, acting like everyone's best friend. Blake smiled as she watched the 'hive' crowd around their leader. Looking around, Blake came to realize that she could not see the white haired female she sought among them.

"Bumblebee, I do not see Weiss or Ruby anywhere."

Surprisingly, Bumblebee heard her above all the chatter. The blonde glanced around, her brow furrowed in confusion. "You're right…" She posed, her index finger pointing to the ceiling as she looked up. Everyone around her scattered, knowing better than to get in the way of the spontaneous Bumblebee. "By Merlin's beard, gamer girl, we have a case to solve!" She lunged at Blake, taking the girl's arm in her own as she started to run off. The crowd of people at the tent bidding their farewells behind her.

Flustered by the unexpected action, Blake asked, "Wait! Where are we going?!"

"We're going on a hunt! If I had to guess, Ruby probably led Weiss somewhere more _private_," Blake did not like how Bumblebee stressed that word. "in order to apologize. But, knowing Ruby, she also took her somewhere where they could set up their own little secret place in comfort. Away from everyone else." Making a sharp turn, Blake saw that they were quickly approaching a section of the store with a board hanging down from the ceiling marking the 'Home' department.

_I feel as though her reasoning is a little flawed… but who knows? Maybe we'll find them._

Approaching an open area, Bumblebee tugged on Blake's arm, stopping her from rounding the corner of an aisle into the Home section.

Amber eyes glanced to the taller girl in confusion. "What is the -"

A hand found its way over Blake's mouth, silencing her. "Shhh!" Bumblebee whispered, her voice dangerously low. "They'll hear us."

Playing along, Blake lowered her voice when Bumblebee took her hand away. "Who will?"

Instead of responding, the blonde jerked her head toward the Home section, jabbing a finger to emphasize where. Rolling her eyes, Blake slowly peeked around the corner with Bumblebee, not expecting much. What she saw surprised her.

On a dark blue bed, covered by an equally blue duvet, were Ruby and Weiss. The two teens laid facing each other on the comfy showcase bed, giggling as they whispered, their legs tangled together and their hands clasped between them. Around them were a fortress of stacked pillows, acting as walls to stop prying eyes. The pillow wall doing a terrible job. The eye patch Ruby had previously been wearing was thrown carelessly on the ground nearby. Ruby's red jacket, which the young girl almost always wore, appeared to be covering Weiss, her previously bare arms now encompassed by the soft material. The redhead opposite her was now only clad in her black shirt and equally black jeans.

Weiss looked strangely relaxed, much calmer than she had been when she had teared after Ruby, her usually frowning face wearing a radiant smile. Blake was astounded she could even look so peaceful. She thought that such a smile suited her quite nicely, making the already pretty girl look far more beautiful. As for Ruby, her lips were curved into a coy smile that seemed far too mature for someone her age, making her appear several years older than she truly was. Their faces were close together as they talked, edging ever closer as their eyes looked to the other with a gleam Blake was unfamiliar with.

_We should not be watching this. This is wrong oh this is _so_ wrong!_ They were officially spying on… something, and it made Blake feel rather dirty.

Looking to her now partner in crime, Blake was about to ask what they were supposed to do now when she suddenly witnessed, horrified, as Bumblebee pulled out her phone, turning on the camera.

_She's not really going to…?_

A clicking sound pierced the quiet, the noise reminiscent of a shutter. _She is._

Without thinking, Blake lunged at the blonde, stopping her from taking any more pictures as she continued to aim her impromptu camera at the couple on the bed.

"HIGUYBLARGH!" Bumblebee made various noises as the two went down, their crash to the ground alerting the couple around the corner to their presence. "What the hell gamer girl?!"

Blake lifted herself up with her forearms, looking down at the blonde as she hovered over her. "I was not going to let you take pictures! What you were doing was wrong!"

"Buh… but it was a golden opportunity! Why would you wanna waste that!?"

"For one, blackmail is a terrible thing to do to your sister. Two, that is just morally wrong! Are you a bumbling _idiot_?" She did not choose her words carefully.

Bumblebee giggled beneath her. "Heh, bumbling."

Blake felt like smacking the air-headed girl. _Did she hear a word I said?_

A new voice spoke up from behind. "Well, what do we have here?" Whipping her head around as best she could, Blake saw Ruby and Weiss standing behind them, identical smirks on their lips. They both began singing, "_Yang and Blake, sitting in a tree, kay eye ess ess eye en gee…_"

Blake raised an eyebrow. _What are they going on about? _She found her answer when she looked down.

Taking another look at their position, Blake realized what they meant. After tackling the taller girl, she had ended up straddling her on the tile floor. Now that she was aware of it, she felt warmth spreading from where their clothed stomachs and chests were pressed together. Bumblebee - or rather, Yang now - shot her a coy smile, her blonde hair spread around her head in a yellow halo as half-lidded violet eyes peered up to the darker girl. Blake's own ebony hair cascaded down around them, acting as a curtain as their faces hovered only inches apart.

"Oh, so your name's Blake, huh? Is this how you always introduce yourself? Or am I just special?" Yang joked as Blake flushed red, the embarrassed girl scrambling to get up from their suggestive position.

Now standing, the flustered girl turned to her friends, waving her arms around in denial, her words coming out in a rush. "It is not what you think! She was going to take pictures of you and I did not want you both to be caught like that as it is none of our business and I was just trying to stop her and prevent conflict and I…!"

Weiss held up a hand, silencing Blake. Still smirking, the pale girl said, "It's okay Blake. I get it." She jerked a thumb to the red girl next to her, a cellphone clasped in the youngest girl's hand. "I had to stop this one from trying to take pictures as well."

Ruby pouted, shoulders slumping a bit. "It wouldn't have worked anyway. I like Blake too much to tease her and Yang doesn't have any shame."

"True." Yang, now standing, crossed her arms as she smiled. "Like I said sis, I'll let you get your revenge as a Christmas present."

Ruby huffed, not dignifying her with an answer. Instead she approached Blake, silver eyes shining as she hugged the bewildered teen. "It's so nice to see you Blake!" She suddenly began wailing. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know that you would be coming here too. If I did, I would have asked if you wanted to come with! Please forgive me!"

Blake awkwardly patted the younger girl's back, not liking all the physical contact she had experienced throughout her time at the Wal-Mart. "It is okay Ruby, really. Your sister told me all about it." _What is with these two and the constant touching?_

Stepping back, the short red adolescent eyed her sister suspiciously. "Did she now?"

Lilac eyes rolled in their sockets. "Oh don't start. All I said was that it was my fault that you didn't go with her. Nothing else."

Ruby backed away in surprise. "You… you did? No jokes? No terrible puns? No insults about my shortness or how I have few friends? No ANYTHING?!" Ruby gasped as her hands flew over her mouth in realization. "You haven't made a pun since you got here! When did you stop?! What is this madness?!"

"Well, I…"

Ignoring her sister, Ruby wildly pointed at Yang. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?!"

_Just how terrible is her sister usually?_ Blake could not help but wonder. The ebony haired girl was rather shocked when Yang snuck a worried looking glance at her.

_Does she… care what I think about her?_

Placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder, Weiss sighed. "Quit it, Ruby." The redhead immediately obeyed, returning to a normal standing position. Yang scoffed at the sight, muttering something under her breath about a dog being kept on a short leash'. "Anyway, thanks for bringing Blake to me Yang. I was wondering how she was doing."

Expressionless, Blake muttered, "I am not THAT socially inept…"

"No, but you get lost rather easily."

Ruby interrupted before the two could start bickering. "Okaaaay! So Blake has met Yang, vice versa, and now we're all here! Happy days!"

As Yang snickered, Blake spoke, "I suppose you could say that." The ebony haired teen eyed Weiss' new jacket, the pale girl noticing and pulling the red garment tighter around her as she evenly stared back. _I'll question them later._

Now glancing toward the blonde girl, Blake asked her friends, "But is she usually like this? Leading around a group of rebels in a path of mass destruction? Being a nuisance and general disturber of the public? Using blackmail as extortion?"

Weiss answered her, voice deadpan. "Only on days ending in a Y."

To Blake's surprise, Yang hugged her again, but this time from behind and with both arms around her waist. She pouted as she nestled her head on Blake's shoulder, leaning her head against ebony hair. "Aw, don't be like that, Blakey! And here I thought I was showing you a good time."

_What is happening I don't know what's happening and I don't know what to do._

In her dysfunctioning state of mind, Blake managed to retort with, "A good time involves invading my personal bubble and running me over with a shopping cart?"

Ruby cupped her hands to her mouth. "Oooo! You need a burn heal for that burn, sis?"

Yang growled. Blake stiffened as the taller girl tightened her hold while addressing Ruby. "Quiet sis." Yang then raised a hand to caress the darker girl's pale cheek. The blonde whispered in her ear, breath purposefully tickling the side of her face. "And as for you…" Blake uncontrollably shivered, her eyes widening. She had no idea what was going on and she had no idea what she should be doing about it. Blake sent telepathic messages to Ruby and Weiss.

_Oh my god help me Ruby, Weiss. S.O.S. I don't know what to do and I can't move help me you two DON'T JUST STAND THERE._

Suddenly, Blake heard a click. She then perceived a phone hovering close to her face. Yang had taken a picture of her. "I think I just got my revenge." Releasing Blake, Yang snickered as she looked through the pictures on her phone. "Thanks sweetheart! This makes up for the lose I had to take cause of you." She whistled as she stopped browsing through her photos. "Nice blush!"

"Wha- what?" Blake asked, dumbfounded.

"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed. She tackled her sister, not fond of seeing her friend teased. The duo again found themselves on the ground, the older sibling laughing as the younger one tried to wrestle the cellphone from her.

As the two teens tousled on the floor, Blake tried to reboot her brain. _What on earth just happened?_

"Hey girls?" The other three snapped their attention to Weiss, the dueling duo on the floor pausing in their fight. "The premiere starts in five minutes."

Yang gasped, eyes wide. "To the electronics!" Getting up, she hefted Ruby onto her shoulder fireman's style. Speeding down the aisle they were in with an increasingly difficult Ruby slung over her.

The two girl's left behind could hear the redhead's shouts. "Nooo! Let me go Yang! I _will_ delete that picture!"

_Wow, that girl is strong. And do those two ever do anything normally? Or is it just me? _

Weiss grabbed a stunned Blake by the arm. "Come on Blake! We're gonna be left behind!"

"O-oh, yeah, sure." The white and black girls double timed it to catch up to the sisters. Which was not so difficult since Yang insisted on carrying Ruby, much to the redheads chagrin as she continued to squirm.

_It's probably just me._

Dismay gripped the girls as they made it back to the electronics section. A line greeted them as they approached, dampening their spirits.

"Looks like we're gonna have to wait." Yang shook her head as she finally allowed her sister down. The smaller girl swatting her before she went to stand by Weiss. "Hey!"

"Sorry, muscle spasm."

Blake chuckled. "Let's just get in line."

They did just that. Locating the end of the line, the four girls waited together. Blake did not know how to feel as Yang stood beside her. The tall blonde seemed to like sticking by her.

Blake internally groaned. _Why is she constantly near me? I didn't to anything to her! At least, I'm pretty sure I didn't._

As they waited, apprehension started coming off the sister duo in waves. Both of them began to fiddle with their fingers and bounce from foot to foot. Yang bit her lip as she looked out over the orderly line before them, immersed in her thoughts. Ruby's silver irises flicked from side to side, almost as if she expected a fight to break out at any second. Why she would think that though was a mystery.

Blake wondered how long it would take for Weiss to break. _It shouldn't be long now until Weiss yells at them for fidgeting._

She was not disappointed. "Would you two stop that!" Weiss stomped her foot, snapping at them in her annoyance. "You're starting to make _me_ nervous!"

Ruby shrugged sheepishly as Yang laughed.

"Sorry princess. But I just _knew_ that we should've been by the register." Yang poked her younger sister. "I told you there'd be a line out the wazoo!"

Ruby stuck her tongue out, denying everything. "You didn't tell me nothing!"

"Whatever." Yang reached a hand into her jean pocket, searching for something. "Since we're at the end of the line, how about we entertain ourselves? We still got a bit of time before the release, or before we even get to the front, so let's play a game!" Finding what she desired, Yang pulled out her black 3DS, wiggling it in her grip as she smiled to the trio around her. "Who wants to play Animal Crossing?"

Ruby quickly whipped out her own red colored console, eager to get started. "Ooo! Me!" Silver eyes trained on Weiss. "Come on Weiss! We can go play on the island together!"

Huffing, Weiss retrieved her own white 3DS from inside the pouch attached to the belt around her dress. "Fine. Might as well."

Yang turned to Blake. "Well?"

Blake blinked, confused. "Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna play with us?"

"Yeah, come on Blake!" Ruby enthusiastically jumped to her side. "There's always room for one more!"

Smiling, Blake retrieved her own purple device from the pocket inside her coat. "Sure, why not?"

"Oh, wait!" Yang voiced, eagerly facing Blake. "Before we start, do you mind if we exchange friend codes first?"

"Exchange… friend codes?"

"Yeah! Haven't you done it with your friends before?"

Blake looked away, finding the Spiderman headphones on display next to her suddenly fascinating. "No… I cannot say I have."

Yang gave her a gentle smile. "Well, then let's do it! I'd like to able to play with you more often."

Upon hearing this, a fiendishly grinning Ruby elbowed her sister in the side."Oh, I see. So you wanna play with her, huh? Someone's got a cruuush!"

For the first time that night, Blake got to witness as Yang's face turned its own rosy shade of pink.

_Well surprise surprise. The girl does feel shame. _Blake paused for a moment, taking in what that meant._ Does… does that mean it's true?_

Yang finally retorted. "Shut up Ruby! I meant play Pokémon and Animal Crossing and stuff with her!" Yang huffed, turning away from her shorter sibling. "I just wanna get to know her better! Be friends and all that jazz! Is that so wrong?"

It was Weiss' turn to jeer. "With you? It'll be wrong six ways from Sunday."

"Put a lollipop in it princess, no one was asking you." Yang growled.

Blake chuckled as she lightly laid her hand on Yang's shoulder, initiating contact for the first time while simultaneously sparing her from further teasing. "It's okay Yang. We can exchange friend codes." She held her 3DS up with a sheepish smile. "But you're gonna have to show me how to do it."

The blonde beamed at her. "Of course!"

More than an hour later, as the tired quartet of girls left the Wal-Mart with their new game, an indignant Ruby shouted in the parking lot. "I forgot the coloring book!"

* * *

A/N: Well. This blew up into something weird. Weirder than I intended it to be. Hope you guys liked it anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So here it is. By popular demand, the second chapter in this ridiculous universe I crafted. I'm not sure if this is what you all wanted, but here you go. This should have been up a day ago, but I couldn't access my stories, so sorry about that. Also, an author's note at the end.

Thanks to risefromshadows for beta reading this. She's awesome I tell ya.

* * *

Blake hummed as she played her Pokémon game, earphones jacked in and listening to the game soundtrack for the full experience. Her room was dark, save for the soft glow of phosphorescent lights that hung along her wall like thin vines, reaching down from the ceiling as the miniature bulbs slowly transitioned from one brilliant hue to the next. Wrapped up in a blanket, nestled cozily on her bed after a long day of homework, and a small bag of fish gummies just within arms reach made her feel as though she had found her corner of heaven. It was approaching midnight, but still she played on.

A week after the release, Blake found that the game was rather fun so far. The features of this generation were glaringly different than the past, but not in a bad way. Far from it in her opinion. While the shopping and new 'make your own promotion video' were something that did not appeal to her, the new Pokémon, battle functions and unique perks of this generation did. Hordes in the wild? Sweet. A new type that could defeat dragons besides ice and, ironically, dragons? About time. Wonder Trade? Time to take on the Wonder Trade challenge.

She was doing that now, fighting with a team of six randomly traded Pokémon that she lifted off six strangers from the internet. The goal was to beat the game with whatever Pokémon one was gifted with in Wonder Trade, no matter what they were. It had been a tad difficult initially when half of the Pokémon on her team were, irritatingly enough, the exact same Pokémon. However, that did not hinder her determination and she had yet to give up.

In the middle of traveling from one town to the next, six badges secured and heading for the seventh, the bottom of her screen displayed a greeting, one of the characters on her friends list now colored in. It seemed her friend, Ruby, was online and connected to the internet. To her surprise, Yang followed soon after.

Since she bought the game, she had yet to see Yang online at the same time as her. They had not spoken once since their crazy meeting at the Wal-Mart release and Blake could not help but wonder how she was doing.

A ping notified her to a request. Yang was inviting her to chat.

_Chat?_ Blake had no idea what the chat feature was on the DS, having not partaken in it with people she battled or traded with over an internet connection, but she had been vaguely curious as to how voice chat would work. She shrugged. _Sure. Why not?_

She tapped the accept button with her stylus, waiting. Nothing happened.

She muttered as she shook her head, disbelief evident in her tone, "Huh. It didn't do anything..."

"What didn't?"

Blake shrieked at the voice in her ears, dropping her DS on her lap in surprise.

"Hey!" The voice exclaimed, ringing loudly in her ears. "What's going on over there? I hear screaming, and it doesn't sound like the good kind." The voice crackled on the other end, the music still playing as the voice spoke through her earphones.

"Swiss cheese!" Blake spluttered, clutching her chest in surprise. Her face twisting into a frown as she realized that she knew the voice. "Yang? Is that you?"

"The one and only! Were you expecting someone else, sweetheart?"

Blake loosened her grip on her chest as her heart beat started to slow from its fear-induced adrenaline. She grimaced, unamused, as she picked her DS up from her lap. She could almost hear the teasing smile through the static and Yang's giggles over her censored cursing on the other end.

"No, but I was not expecting to hear you."

"You alright over there, Geodude?"

"Peachy. Had a heart attack, but just peachy."

"Great!" Yang quickly waved off her concerns. Her voice lowered as she asked, "Sooo… how you doing?"

Blake rolled her eyes. A useless gesture as Yang could not see her, but she felt it needed to be done. "Oh, you know, fine."

"Just fine? Nothing else? You aren't hungry? Or maybe cold? Got a headache? A squid on your head sucking out your brains? You can't be 'just fine'." Yang insisted.

_If I didn't have a headache before, I'm certainly getting one now._ "If you must know, the weather is a little too chilly for me, but, like I said, I am fine. Thanks for the concern."

She listened as Yang tried to stifle another giggle. "I guess you could say that when the cold came, the Heatran."

_Ruby was right, she actually does do the pun thing. Excessively._ Not deeming Yang's pun with a response, Blake curiously inspected the game screen, still in wonderment at yet another new feature the game provided. "Does this thing work like a cell phone?"

Yang answered her with a theory of her own. "I thought it was more like video chat without the camera. But I guess you could say it's a cell phone. The cool thing is that you can chat like this with anyone! The downside is that you can't lower the music while talking." Her observation proved astute, the soutrack still droning in the background.

"Really." A devious smile graced her features. She brought her mouth close to the microphone, raising her voice to a shout. "Can you hear me now?!"

A surprised yelp was her reply. "Ah! Geez Blake, I got my earphones in! No need to be so damn Loudred!"

Blake gave a low chuckle as she heard her protests. As she laughed, a curious thought made itself known and she had to ask, "I thought you weren't doing Pokémon puns around me?"

Yang tutted in disapproval. "See, that's where you're all wrong! I don't pun for just anyone, Blake. No, I only pun around the _cool_ people."

"Well stop. It's irritating." Blake deadpanned, trying to hide the flattery she felt by the other girl's flippant comment. She was pleased to hear the sarcastic gasp of disbelief from the blonde's side of the conversation.

"Why, Blake! Would it be Farfetch'd to assume you are not a fan of my Poképuns? Shocking!"

"Not really. Are you done yet?" Blake asked in amusement. As clever as her puns were, they truly were beginning to grate on her nerves.

"You sounded just like Ruby, I swear."

Brushing the remark to the side, she decided to make a proposal. "How about a battle?"

"Oh hell yeah! Let's do this!" Yang readily agreed. "You are so gonna crash and burn against my awesome boss team. You will buurrrnn." Yang drew out the 'burn' long and hard.

Blake could not resist giving Yang a taste of her own medicine. "I guess you could say we're going to… Throh down."

She was met with silence from the other end.

"Uh… Yang? You still there?"

The dark haired girl almost jumped in surprise at the loud exclamation that beat against her poor eardrums. "Dammit! Why didn't I think of that?!"

As Blake accepted the battle request that popped up on her screen, she couldn't help another laugh. "Not sorry."

"Psh, whatever. My puns are better anyway…" Blake managed to glance over the battle restrictions before Yang asked, "You ready?"

It was going to be a double battle, Blake's favorite way to play. "I assume we are going to battle with our current parties?"

"Raichu are, but this'll just be a warm up battle." Static crackled through the DS as Yang cackled evilly. "This way I can see what kind of Pokémon you like most!"

"Is that your evil plan?" Blake asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You are going to be most disappointed then."

"What do mean…" Yang's sentence remained unfinished as the pre-battle match screen connected, revealing the Pokémon in both their parties. "Is this some kind of joke? This _can't _be your real team."

On the top half of Blake's screen, their teams sat side by side. On the left was Yang's team, displaying her favorite Pokémon of choice: led by one of the usual starters, Chesnaught, followed by the secondary starter Charizard. After them came Lucario, Flareon, Espeon, and Pangoro. Blake assumed she had yet to beat the game if this was all she had to offer, but it was not a shabby team.

On the right side, standing proud and tall, was Blake's team. Leading the team was her very own Bibarel, followed by a shiny Blastoise, a Steelix, another Bibarel, _another_ Bibarel, and a yellow Florges.

She tapped the start button before responding, smirking. "It is not. You interrupted me as I was doing the Wonder Trade challenge, so what you are seeing is not my real team, but six random partners that I got through the internet."

"Swiss cheese…" Yang muttered, borrowing Blake's pseudo-curse. "I'm so sorry you have such a lame team."

"You will be when I beat you." Blake retaliated, having full confidence in her team.

"Promises, promises." Yang tutted. "I'll Blastoise you out of the water with my skills, you just watch."

In the middle of their trash talk, the battle was underway. As it was a double battle, Blake's first two out were one of her Bibarels' partnered with her Blastoise. Against them were Yang's Chesnaught and Charizard, an intimidating duo to be sure.

Blake smiled at the thought of what she was going to do to them.

"I hope you're preparing for the inevitable beat down, Blake." Yang sang through her mic. "You'll burn in the flames of defeat!"

After choosing her moves for the turn, Blake asked with incredulity, "What is with you and the burning thing?"

"I just -" Yang stopped mid-sentence. After allowing her Charizard to Mega Evolve, the lizard like Pokémon transforming into a black beast mixed with blue, she watched in stunned silence as Blake's Blastoise took the first turn, a single Ice Beam knocking it out. Blake had predicted her move to evolve her Charizard and took advantage of its new Dragon typing, ending it with one swift move.

Blake imagined Yang's mouth opening and closing in awe at what had transpired, the blonde brimming with rage. "What the _hell_? How is your snot squirrel faster than my Charizard?!"

"Maybe it knew you were calling it a snot squirrel." Blake retorted, finding humor in Yang's assessment of her green Blastoise.

"Hmph! We'll see how smug you are when my Chesna-" She silenced herself again, both girls watching as Blake's Bibarel also used Ice Beam on Yang's unsuspecting Chesnaught, proving to be faster than the grass type starter. "I can't believe it." Voice devoid of emotion, "That lousy excuse for a beaver took out my Chesnaught. I officially hate your Pokémon."

"They're not too fond of you either." Blake laughed.

"You know what? Just for that, I'm gonna name each and every one of your Bibarels Justin." At the same time she spoke, she sent out her next pair, the Lucario and the Flareon.

Blake's eyes widened as she understood what Yang was getting at. "You wouldn't dare."

In the battle, her next objective became the Lucario. She would not take the bait of going after the bad type matchup that the Flareon presented, for she knew exactly what Yang was planning. As simplistic as it was, it was not a bad strategy to hold up her Flareon as a sacrifice. Too bad Yang was so predictable.

"Each and every one of them…" Yang began, slow and soft.

"Don't say it!" Blake warned.

"Will be known as…"

"Don't finish that sentence!"

"Justin Beaver!"

"Dammit Yang!" She went there.

In the game play, Blake's unusually speedy Blastoise began the turn with a Zen Headbutt to her opponents Lucario, only able to hope to heaven that it would do its job as the Lucario's health only dropped to one fourth of its original amount, its health bar yellow. The angels seemed to have heeded her prayer and she silently whooped in victory, because the Lucario she knew would bring the end of her Bibarel flinched on its turn.

"Are you kidding me?!" Yang yelled, becoming outraged at how this battle was turning out.

"Would you like to rage quit?" Blake asked mockingly.

"Never!"

As soon as she said that - right after Yang's Flareon surprisingly used Yawn on her Blastoise - Blake's Bibarel used Surf, reducing what was left of her Lucario's health points to zero while simultaneously ending her Flareon in a single, super effective, maneuver. The move doing minimal damage to Blake's own partner, the water type barely affected.

"Okay, maybe now I will." As she sent out her last two in her party, an Espeon and Pangoro, Yang sighed dejectedly. "I concede defeat."

"The battle isn't even over." Blake smirked, relishing in the knowledge, yet feeling slightly guilty, that Yang could not see her evil expression. Surely Yang knew that Espeon and Pangoro was a duo that complimented each other nicely, a psychic type paired with a fighting/dark could cover a wide range of weaknesses with the right moves. "Don't give up yet!"

"It's kind of hard not to when I haven't even so much as scratched your team."

On screen, Espeon moved first. Blake could only watch in astonishment as her opponent swiftly put an end to her Bibarel, the psychic type having Grass Knot among her repertoire of moves. Her Blastoise, temporarily on its own, fell asleep on its turn after using Dark Pulse on Yang's Espeon, a result of the now fainted Flareon's Yawn. Espeon managed to hold on to half its HP, Dark Pulse weakened by the Colbur berry it ate, lessening the effect of a super effective dark type attack. The turn ended with Yang's Pangoro nearly ending her Blastoise with a well aimed Focus Blast.

"My team!"

"Doesn't matter." Yang brushed off her feat like it was nothing. "You'll still get me in the end."

_Maybe, maybe not. _Blake mused from her end, not sure how many more partners she would lose to this duo before she would be victorious.

Another Bibarel replaced her fainted Bibarel, causing Yang to laugh into her microphone. "Once again, the day is saved! Thanks to… Justin Beaver Mark Two!"

"I will _end you._" Blake hissed, not taking the insults to her team lightly.

"Aren't you already doing that?"

For the next turn, Yang's Espeon once again went first. This time, it used Morning Sun, regaining back almost all of its lost HP with a barely noticeable sliver serving as the only indicator that it had lost any to begin with. Blake's Blastoise remained asleep, its Nevermeltice not helping it and wasting its turn. As it was only its first turn being asleep, Blake did not bother hoping that it would wake up. Next, Pangoro attacked, proving itself to be faster than the second Bibarel. The same Bibarel fainted from another well aimed, super effective, Focus Blast. Blake could not help but wonder if her Pangoro was holding a Wide Lens, its accuracy seemingly uncanny.

"Two down four to go." Yang cheered, starting to get a little enthusiastic. The tables beginning to turn in her favor. She might be able to pull a victory after all, she just had to be careful.

Blake did not respond, only sending out her next Pokémon: the Florges.

"Shit." Yang muttered. Any hope of victory now dashed.

So it began once again. Yang's Espeon beginning the round by using Psychic on Blake's Blastoise, draining the rest of its health before it could even have the chance to wake up.

"Bye bye Blastoise…" Blake called forlornly, watching as it turned into a speck of light and receded back into its ball. "You toughed it out long enough."

"And the mutant ninja turtle is history!" Yang whooped, voice rising in her self-congratulatory shout. Puzzled, Yang had to double check Blake's sanity. "You know that they don't exist, right?"

"I can dream, Yang." Blake snapped back. "I can dream."

"Aw, how cute!" A chuckle accompanied her words before they returned their attention back to the screens. "I so saw this coming." Yang commented, watching as Blake's Florges decimated her Pangoro with a single Moonblast, the most powerful fairy type move to date proving too much for her dark type fighter. "I ain't even mad."

What would hopefully be the last partner she sent out, Blake decided to showcase her only other Pokémon that was not a repeat: Steelix.

"Hope you're ready for your inevitable defeat." Blake crowed, triumph near at hand.

"Yeah, yeah." Yang shrugged off her boasting, a plan still in the works. "But do you think you can handle… This?!" Yang yelled dramatically, her Espeon using Grass Knot once again, but on her Steelix. While it was not super effective, it did take a large chunk of the Steelix's life force, the heavy Pokémon taking some serious damage but not fainting. "Damn. That basilisk is pretty tough..."

"Got to try harder than that." Blake reprimanded. The battle came to an end, Blake's Florges using Energy Ball to weaken Yang's Espeon as much as she could, followed by her Steelix using Dark Pulse, effectively securing her win. Seeing an opportunity, she couldn't help but add a pun. "Although, I must say, your battling style isn't very Lilligant."

"Noooo!" Yang shouted. Blake could easily envision her shaking her fists in despair, as though hoping to strangle the dream of her defeat and bring her back to reality. It was not to be. "My puns! And my super boss team!"

"Hey, it was a great battle. You did your best." Blake softly spoke. Her encouraging words becoming deceitful as she continued speaking, "So don't give me those Krookodile tears."

"Dammit! Stop stealing my shtick!" Yang lowered her voice as she added, "And being better at it than me."

"Aw, would you like a pity prize?"

"..." Blake had to wait a few moments before she heard her childish reply. "Yes."

"Then I'll give you a Growlithe I hatched. It's got a good nature."

"For real?! Arcanine is my favorite Pokémon!"

"Then you'll love this Growlithe, it even knows some really good moves since it was bred from an egg."

"Hell yeah! Thanks a ton!"

In the middle of their trade, a sudden banging noise sounded from the other end, as if someone had slammed a door open. "Hey sis!" A new voice broke through their exchange, distant sounding in Blake's earphones. "What were ya yelling about in here? I could hear ya from down the hall."

"Oh, hey Ruby!" Yang called from the other end. It would seem as though Ruby had walked in on Yang, wherever she was. "I was expressing my hurt." She paused. Blake assumed she was bringing her attention back to the screen. "A certain _someone_ beat me in a battle."

"Oooo! Who was it?" Ruby's voice became louder, signaling her approach to Yang and her DS and allowing Blake to hear her better. "Who did ya fight?"

Blake heard a loud, static crackle as Yang pulled out her earphones. She answered with a snarl, the over emphasis on her words symbolizing her jest. "Blake. The snark beat me without even breaking a sweat!"

"Well, to be fair, your Pokémon have a lot to be desired." Ruby pointed out. Blake tried to hold in a laugh at that comment, the younger sister probably having beaten the older one in a battle previously.

"Shush Ruby! Do you want to be banished from my room?" A small pause. Ruby was probably shaking her head. "Didn't think so. At least I get a cool, new Growlithe out of it."

"Nice!" The redhead then called out greetings to her friend, the other girl in the room not forgotten. "Anyway, hey there Blake!"

"Hello, Ruby." Blake replied with mirth, a smile on her face. "How are you?"

"Oh, you know, living life. Can't complain." That was always Ruby's answer, but Blake knew there was more. There was always more. "Did you save the battle you guy's had? You have to show it to me later! I wanna see how badly you kicked Yang's butt!"

Blake let loose her laugh this time. Incidentally, she had. "Sure thing, Ruby. I'll show it to you later."

"Alright, I think you overstayed your welcome." Yang huffed. Blake listened to the clatters and sounds of someone setting something down and then getting up from a chair. "Bye Ruby!"

"But I just got here!" Ruby whined, her cry growing distant. Most likely due to getting pushed out of the room by her stronger sibling. "Come on, let me stay!"

"Yeah, let her stay." Blake called out, supporting Ruby while, at the same time, successfully irritating Yang.

"Hmmm… let me think about this. Uh… No!"

"Wait!" The younger sibling suddenly shouted. "Since Blake's here… well, not technically 'here', but, you know, she's at least, uh, kinda here, in a sense, she's in the room, sorta," Ruby rambled. "I wanted to ask her something, really!"

"Ugh, fine. Ask her your question and then get out." A clapping sound filled Blake's ears. "Chop chop! Hurry up!"

"Hey Blake!" Ruby called to get her attention, as if she did not have it already.

Blake called back anyway. "Yes, Ruby?"

"Wanna come over tomorrow? Weiss is coming over and we're gonna play games and watch movies! Yang's gonna be here too, so you should come hang out with us! We'll have an even four players and it'll be _awesome_!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah! We can all play games and stuff. You like Mario Kart, right?"

"Yeah…"

Yang cut in, voice playfully pleading. "Aw, come on, Blake! It'll be fun!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Ruby agreed with her sister, trying to convince her usually introverted friend. "Unless… You're busy tomorrow?"

"Well, no, I'm not…"

"Then," Yang's voice grew louder again, the young teen drawing closer to her DS so Blake could hear her better. She phrased her question carefully, "would you like to come by tomorrow?"

With a sigh, she decided there would be no harm in a little play date. At least, there shouldn't be. "Sure, I'll come over."

"Great!" Yang cheered, her excitement audible even over the crackling speaker. "Want me to give you our address?"

"No need. I already know where you live."

"Wha- really?! How?"

"I've been over to tutor Ruby before."

"You have?" Blake could easily picture Yang's eyebrows furrowing in her confusion, eyes scrunched as she turned to her sister. "Where was I?"

"On dates or out at parties, usually." Ruby helpfully supplied.

"Oh." Was all she had to say. "Well, I'll be there this time!"

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it." Although they could not see it, the siblings could almost hear the smile in Blake's tone. The young girl genuinely looking forward to spending a day with her friends.

Blake could hear thumps as someone approached the DS. "Alright! Come on over anytime after ten and we'll see ya later Feraligator!"

Two exasperated groans were heard from both rooms.

"You had to throw in that last one, didn'tcha?" Ruby's groan became distant, most likely because she was walking away, not wishing to be anywhere near her punny sister. "I'm out of here."

"Goodnight, Yang. See you tomorrow." Blake briefly chimed in, hastily cutting off the connection before the blonde could make anymore remarks.

Blake, alone once more, sighed as she leaned back into her pillows, her bed a comforting support as she delved into her thoughts. Truthfully, she was both excited and nervous about tomorrow, more so the latter than she would let on. Her eyes wandered over to the clock on the nightstand at her bedside, the glowing dial reading fifteen past one.

With a sigh, Blake shut off her DS, placed it and the now wrapped up, near forgotten, package of fish gummies on the same nightstand, and got up to prepare for bed. She had a full day ahead of her tomorrow.

* * *

It was undeniably a beautiful, sunshiny Sunday. Warm rays shining down with a smile. Small scattering of puffy clouds scuttering by quickly and harmlessly in the vibrant azure sky, not even hinting at any coming rain. On this wonderful day, a girl stood in front of a house, the two story residential building welcoming with its bright beige paint and clean cut lawn, inviting her to come in and play. However, the lone girl hesitated, unsure and weary of what was waiting for her inside.

_This was a bad idea. Maybe I can just leave, pretend I'm sick or something._ Blake thought, not sure if she wanted to do this. She felt that today would go wrong, one way or another. Sure, she had been to Ruby's house before, without Weiss even, but this time would be slightly different. This time, she would be the center of attention of her friend's over energetic blonde sister. If only because Ruby and Weiss would be too caught up in themselves.

While how long she was out there was indeterminable to her, she knew that it had to have been near forty minutes already. Good thing she had arrived an hour early, knowing that she would do what she was doing now: freezing up.

Blake turned around, about to walk back to the bus stop and forget that this ever happened. However, for the third time, she looked back to the house, worrying at her lip with her front teeth in her indecisiveness.

_You know what? _Blake thought to herself._ Screw it. _Abandoning all other thought, she quickly marched up to the front door, delivering a swift knock to the hard wood surface before she could give herself the chance to think about her actions.

The door swung open momentarily. The intensity of the bang it made as it hit the wall on the inside caused Blake to jump and nearly hiss, defensive instincts kicking in.

What greeted her was her friend Ruby, the young girl beaming with a welcoming face. From within, Blake thought she could hear someone laughing and another nagging. "Heya Blake! Glad you could make it!"

"Gl-... glad to be here." Blake calmed her heart's incessant pounding, no danger at hand. It would seem that both the sisters were, one way or another, intent on giving her a heart attack.

"Come on in! Weiss is already here and the three of us are playing Super Smash Brothers! You can join in next round!"

"Sure, thank you Ruby." Blake shot the redhead a smile as she crossed the frame of the door, entering their humble abode.

Near the front door was a small, quaint little shoe cubby. After depositing her footwear into a cubby hole per Ruby's request, Blake was led inside. Led down the short hallway she had been in several times before, the duo could hear the shouts getting ever louder, one of them unsurprisingly haughty, the other jovial. Intermittently, Blake could hear battle music raised in volume, then lowered, raised, then lowered once again. What were Weiss and Yang up to?

Together, Ruby and Blake stepped out of the hallway and into the den, a cozy little room with a TV set up directly across from the entrance and two, long couches creating an uppercase L in front of it. One sofa set facing the television, the other to the left when viewed upon entry. A circular glass coffee table littered with snacks, coasters, drinks, and movie and game cases sat nestled between the furniture and the entertainment system.

The source of the fluctuating music came from the television, the screen displaying a Super Smash Bros fight in progress. For the moment, the game was paused. The next, Yang, taking up residence on the left couch, unpaused it and chuckled as what Blake assumed was her character attempted to push another off the stage to its imminent demise.

"Quit it you brute!" Weiss yelled from her couch facing the television, her back to Ruby and Blake. The ivory-haired teen once again thwarting the blonde's cheating by halting the game.

Ruby rushed passed Blake, vaulting over the couch her girlfriend resided on and plopping down to claim the spot beside her. A Wii remote that had been settled on the glass table was snatched by the focused girl, a fire burning in her eyes. "Cheating ain't gonna help you win Yang!"

"Won't it?" Her pretty little mouth twisted into a evil grin. "You've already lost another life!"

"What!" Ruby exclaimed. She turned to the girl beside her. "Weiss! Why didn't you do anything?"

"I was trying!"

"Try harder!"

Blake observed from her position by the hallway, bemused. Her friends certainly had character.

She was soon spotted. "Heya, gamer girl!" The dark-haired girl shifted her attention to the left, a waving hand and lit lilac eyes welcoming her. "Come on over and take a seat." She patted the cushion beside her. "I don't bite!"

"That's debatable."

"Shut it, princess." Yang growled at the smug girl on the opposing furniture. Smile turning friendly once more, Yang returned her attention to Blake. Her inattentiveness causing her character to die in the now unpaused game. "Forget her, she's just being her usual crapsicle self." She shot a nasty glare to her usual opponent. "At least I don't give people frostbite with _my_ attitude." Weiss chose to ignore her.

"Don't mind me then." Shooting her other host a smile, she made her way over, gingerly sitting on the opposite side of the sofa from Yang.

"Hey." Yang slid over, her controller on her lap as she sat shoulder to shoulder beside Blake. Her grin far from innocent. "No reason to sit so far away, I'm friendly, promise! Like I said, I don't bite."

"Heh." Blake coughed nervously, using her index finger to slowly push Yang away so that they were not in contact. "That you did, but I like my personal space." She then glanced toward the screen, the distracted blonde none the wiser to what was happening. "Look out."

"Huh?" Yellow locks slapped their owner's face from the speed at which Yang turned. "Oh shit! No no no nooo…" Her voice died alongside her character. The last life of her fighter, Samus, taken by the ever righteous Pit.

"Ha! Cheaters never win, and winners get to gloat!" Ruby pumped her fists in the air, hollering at her victory.

"That's not how the saying goes."

"Who cares, sis? I won, you lost! Whoo!"

Blake cut in. "And then there were two."

"One, actually." Weiss corrected. On screen, the still alive and kicking Ice Climbers side slammed the immobile Pit with their hammers in a double whammy, flinging him off screen with a brilliant explosion and relieving him of his last life.

"AAAAH WEISS, HOW COULD YOU I TRUSTED YOOUuuu…" Ruby petered out. She headbutted Weiss' shoulder, burying her face in the unyielding girl's collar.

Weiss patted Ruby's head, not bothering with pity. "That was your error."

"Oooo, given the cold shoulder by your own girlfriend." Yang sucked in air through her front teeth, mock wincing. "Sucks to be you."

"What do you know? You lost even though you cheated!" Ruby peered up, killing intent ingrained into her stare.

Lilac eyes diverted themselves to a wall. "Psh, whatever."

Blake broke in. "So, do I get to play this round?"

"Yes!" Ruby snatched up the only other Wii remote on the table, handing it over to Blake. "You know how to use it right?"

"I know my way around a controller, yes."

"Okay!" Ruby zealously bounced in her seat, using her own remote to bring the screen back to the character selection menu. "Pick your fighter and let's begin!"

* * *

Far later, the girls were still at it. After playing for hours on end, only breaking for lunch and bathroom breaks, the young teens were still going strong. Each of them becoming more and more active with each passing game. Even Blake, whom in the beginning sat back and was content to let her company resolve their shouting matches by themselves, became involved and added her own two cents in every argument. Their last round had been a very heated race of Mario Kart, the four girls making alliances, providing aid on a whim or messing with each other throughout the game.

A clock upon a nearby wall, its ticking catching Blake's attention, displayed its little hand south and its bigger hand north. Six in the evening; maybe it was time to go.

"Alright, me and Weiss are still tied for first, so how about one more game to decide today's winner?" Ruby threw a fist in the air as she announced her challenge.

One more game wouldn't hurt.

"Sure, one more game." Blake nodded from the edge of her seat, her position having changed since she first arrived. Where she had before relaxed into the corner of the sofa in her attempt to distance herself, she now sat on the edge of her cushion, leaning forward and playing with energy. "I should probably head home soon, so this will be my last game."

"Aw." Yang, the dark girl now accustomed to having her by her side, protested. "You're not gonna stay? We'll even feed ya dinner."

"Yeah, dad won't be back from his trip until tomorrow." Ruby agreed. "Which means it's pizza night! You should stay and have pizza with us!"

"If you want me to stay," Blake slyly smirked. "then we'll have to make this next race quick. The last bus leaves at eight, so let's speed this up."

"Go go go!" Yang cupped her hands to her mouth as she shouted to her sister, the young redhead frantically setting up the race.

Barely ten minutes later, the quartet were already rounding the track on their last lap. Weiss had taken the lead through the ingenuity with which she disposed of her items, using them for protection from any red shells and gracefully dodging each and every obstacle presented to her on the track. However, Yang and Ruby were not far behind.

"You better watch yourself, missy." Yang taunted. Her position in second place entitling her to some provoking. "Me and Rubes ain't gonna let you win."

"I'd like to see you try and stop me." Weiss coolly quipped back.

"Hey, wait, no!" Yang shouted, her driver assaulted by a red shell. "RUBY!"

"Yes, dearest sister?" The redhead, once in third place and now in second, shot her a smug smile.

"I can't believe you! I was so close to getting her and you just, just, urgh! God f-"

"YANG!" Weiss interrupted. "Language!"

"Fffffuuuuhhh-"

"Don't say it!"

"Uuuuhhh -"

"No!"

"-lipping pancakes?"

A chill inducing stare eyed her for a few moments. "Fine."

"Pay attention Weiss." Blake advised, utilizing all her skills in stoicism to not fall over laughing. "You're about to be hit."

"What do you mean I'm about to -" Ruby cackled maniacally beside her. "I can't believe you!" Weiss spluttered, watching as her character exploded in a fiery blue boom.

"Now you know how I feel." Yang muttered.

"Who used that blue shell?" A glacial blue stare shifted between her three competitors, demanding to know whose blood she desired to spill.

Blake rose her hand and waved. "That would be me."

"How could you back stab me like this?! I thought you were the one I could trust!"

"It's simple, Weiss." Blake gave Weiss what she thought was a sympathetic look as the game declared Ruby the winner, the redhead taking advantage of Weiss' defeat and passing her to claim victory. The barely noticeable smirk lent Blake the guise of a devil in disguise. "I'm your friend, and, as your friend, it is my job to look out for you. Looking out for you means I have to make sure you don't get a big head. Therefore, it was my sacred duty to use everything within my power to stop you from reaching first, no matter what the cost may be."

"Why you sneaky little…"

"Although, I may have failed in this sacred duty since day one."

"Hah! It's always the quiet ones." Yang, who had been listening, guffawed at Blake's remark. She held out her fist to Blake, the grinning girl giving her a fist bump. "Nice one!"

"Why were you helping Ruby!?"

"She promised me a shiny Vulpix if I helped her."

Weiss turned to her deceiving girlfriend, lips curled inwards and cheeks puffed out. She had wondered what Ruby was whispering to Blake before they started. "You what?"

The redhead shot Blake a furious glare at having been ratted out, to which Blake cheerily waved back. Ruby then held a hand to the forefront of her face in a defensive pose. "It's not what you think, Weiss! It's not the one you gave me, I swear!"

Weiss leaned in, face still puffed. "What?"

Ruby shook her head vehemently, denying any betrayal. "Really!"

"Hmm…" Weiss hummed before her posture relaxed back to its normal state, back straight and feet crossed. "Fine, if you say so." She thrust a finger at Blake, her glare speaking of untold, despicable things she would do if she dared cross her again. "As for you, don't think I'll forget this."

"It's just a game Weiss. Why don't you…" She paused for dramatic effect.

Weiss caught on to Blake's reference. "No. You can't be serious."

"Why don't you…" She repeated for build up.

Weiss threw her hands up in the air, searching the ceiling as though it held the answer to her question. "Why is everyone doing this to me?'

Then the punchline. "Let it go." Ruby and Yang clutched their mouths, trying to hold in their laughs.

Weiss finally broke her perfect posture as she slumped in her seat, a hand splayed over her eyes in defeat. "It's official. I'm in hell."

"Then it's a good thing hell has pizza." Yang, for once taking pity on her opponent of wits, cheerfully chimed in. "I don't know about you three, but I'm starving."

"Yeah, let's go get pizza!" Ruby cheered.

Blake tilted her head to the side in puzzlement. "Are we ordering it here?"

"Ah, no." Yang realized Blake had no idea what they meant when they said they were going out for pizza. "There's a cute little pizzeria down the street from here, we go there all the time! The owners are our dad's friends and they're really nice!"

Blake furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Won't it be… a little dangerous? Walking there at night?"

"If you're unarmed and don't know how to fight, maybe." Yang deviously smiled. "Besides, our friend always gives us a ride back. He's a real gent!"

"How about instead of yakking on about it, we show you?" The youngest girl in the room twittered from the other couch, Weiss and Ruby watching their interaction from their own seats.

Yang jumped up from her cushion and quickly shut the Wii and the television off. "That's what we're doing!" She held out a hand to Blake, the seated girl looking at it with distrust. Yang sighed in defeat, retracting her hand. "Let's go, _please_?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…"

Weiss, on the other hand, was not so easily persuaded. "I don't think I'm going to go."

"What?! Come on Weeeiisss!" Ruby pleaded, nestling up to the stubborn girl's side. "Let's go out for some pizza, it'll be fun!"

Weiss turned her head away from the whining redhead, cupping her chin with a hand and puffing out a cheek as she thought. "Hmm… I don't know, I'm pretty comfy on this couch as it is. Maybe you should just bring me something back." She smirked at Ruby's whine.

Yang looked over to Blake, hands on her hips as she gave her a critical look. She pointed a thumb in the direction of the other pair, a sly smile curling her lips. "They're a lost cause, how about me and you go on ahead of them and have our own date, two video dames out for a night on the town?" A wink punctuating her words.

Blake grinned a devious grin of her own, a playful glint in her eye and a whimsical air in her tone as she shot down Yang's plan. "I'm not so sure I want to leave either. Weiss brought up a very good point, I'm too comfortable to leave." To emphasize her point, she wiggled deeper into her seat, the leather bending down with her weight.

She was gifted with an incredulous stare. "What?!"

"I'll only get up if Blake gets up." Weiss claimed, still ignoring a clingy Ruby.

Blake could not help but laugh as she saw the sisters' eyes light up, Ruby's in hope and Yang's with a look that read 'challenge accepted'.

"Thanks, Weiss." Blake said sarcastically.

The smirk still planted upon a pretty face was soon aimed at her. "Anytime, _friend_."

Ruby quickly shot over to the dark-haired girl, grabbing her right arm. "Come on, Blake! There'll be food in it for you if you just _get up_!"

"Eeeh?" Came the exasperated groan. "I don't want to."

Yang joined in, standing strong and grabbing Blake's left arm. "You're coming with us for pizza and you're gonna like it!"

Together, the sibling duo easily hefted the lightweight girl to her feet, Blake still laughing at their efforts. "Okay, okay! I'm up."

Weiss sighed from her seat, getting up from her cozy little spot. "Way to give in so easily, Blake. I thought you had more willpower than that."

As Ruby and Yang released her arms, the corners of Blake's mouth curved up into an innocent smile. "Whoops, I lied. Falling back down." Blake let her body go limp, sinking back into the couch and enjoying the various reactions Yang and Ruby gave her.

Ruby tried to grab her before she fell completely, only succeeding in grabbing her arm again. "Hey! You liar!"

Yang, on the other hand, gave a devilish laugh. "I don't think so, snark." She bent down toward Blake's level, surprising the unsuspecting girl when she wrapped her arms around her midsection. "I saaaiiid..." Blake cried out in surprise as Yang lifted her and threw the poor girl over her shoulder. "You're coming with! Whether you like it or not!"

"Hey! Let me down, Yang!" Blake shouted, punching Yang's shoulder and back, struggling for all that she was worth. Yang really was quite strong.

"Are you gonna try to sit back down?" Yang asked playfully.

Blake blew out her breath in annoyance, mouth set into a frown and arms crossed as she ceased her movements. She answered in a small voice, barely audible to her captor and spectators. "No."

"I can't hear yoooouuu!" Yang singsonged, innocently twirling a finger in the air and succeeding in extracting a laugh from her sister and her friend, Weiss' usually frigid demeanor absent.

"I said no!" Blake shouted, bluntly elbowing the back of Yang's head. "Put me down!"

Blake was soon back on her feet, a pouting Yang rubbing the back of her head. "Geez, alright! No need to get violent!" She emphasized her pain with another tender rub, giving an over dramatic wince. "You sure pack a punch."

"Good." Blake nodded as she stomped toward the front door, leaving Yang in the dust with Ruby and Weiss close behind.

Blake managed to hear what Yang mumbled as she stormed off, her slightly better than average hearing still catching what the blonde thought no one would hear. "Whaddya know? Cute _and_ feisty."

Before long, the four girls left the sister's home and set off down the street, thoughts of dinner nearly making Yang and Ruby drool. The crisp autumn air and setting sun peeking in between houses as they passed cast a casual setting over the quartet, the young teens enjoying their evening stroll. They naturally split into pairs as they walked, Ruby and Weiss drifting behind Yang and Blake in an attempt at privacy, the couple discreetly holding hands out of view of the older sibling lest she try to separate them. Yang, however, was distracted. Her attention captured by a certain ebony teen at her side.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any, Yang asked what she had been meaning to find out for a while. "Hey Blake?"

"Yes Yang?"

"Uh… How good are you at math?"

Blake hummed as she tried to think of the simplest answer. "As I am in advanced calculus, I would say I am quite proficient."

"Mmm, I see. And..." She trailed off, assembling her thoughts as best she could. "You tutor people in math?"

"Infrequently, but yes."

"Well, I don't suppose you would, I dunno, tutor me maybe?" Yang shrugged sheepishly at admitting her shortcomings, but she did need the help.

"Am I hearing you right?" Blake gasped, theatrically holding her right hand over her heart. "You would rather _study_ over doing something _fun_?"

"Hey, I care about my grades!" Yang puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. She then began whistling innocently as she turned away from Blake's scrutinizing stare. "When I'm failing anyway." A finger dug into Blake's shoulder in a playful poke. "And it's not like I go partying _every_ weekend!"

Weiss called from behind. "Only every other day is all."

"Quiet in the back row! Don't think for a second I don't know you two are holding hands! I can and _will _separate ya." Yang snapped. She nodded at the silence that answered her. "That's what I thought." Her steps then became stomps as she quickened her pace, getting ahead of her giggling companion. "But hey, whatever Blake, so you don't wanna help me. I get it!"

"Wait! I never said that!" Blake, smiling, quickly caught up to the retreating blonde. "I would be happy to tutor you. What days work for you?"

Her hurried trek slowed back into a stroll, Yang patting the side of her jacket as she thought. "Maybe… Sometime next Friday? After school?" Yang rummaged in her pocket for something, her hand soon revealing that she had dug out her cell phone. "But just in case, maybe we should exchange numbers? For scheduling purposes of course."

Blake shook her head as she brought them to a stop, her smile having yet to fade. "Of course. For scheduling purposes."

* * *

A/N: So, a couple things I want to address that may or may not concern you dear reader.

First of all, Happy Birthday to xT-Zealot! Who kindly drops a friendly review from time to time and mentioned that their birthday was in January. A very happy birthday to you! I read all my reviews so don't think for a second that I don't appreciate each and every one of you that comment. I retain quite a bit with my memory and I thank all of you, truly I do.

Second, quite a few of you pointed out that Blake was far more shy in this than she originally would be. That was kind of the point since in this AU she is home-schooled and socializes little. It will, however, not last long. I also like the dynamic Yang and Weiss set for each other, so their dialogue was fun.

Third, I am not sure if I'll do a third chapter. It will depend on the reception I get to this one. Kindly tell me what you think and if you want a third, please say so! If that comes to be the case, then I will continue making more chapters for this as my main project.

Fourth, if this becomes my main project, then the romantic side to this will be very slow. I'm trying to create a slow burn, see if I can do it. I will also be creating a pun theme for each chapter, so it won't be mostly Pokemon puns if I continue this, it will be all sorts of game references, puns and the like. Updates on this would also be slow, I don't pull my lame jokes out of a hat (as much as I wish I could) and it takes time to craft the story. But that all depends on inspiration and motivation. If you all really want this to be continued, I will do my best.

And that is all, thank you for reading! Until next time.


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